


Rust gets in your eyes

by rudbeckia



Series: Clan Techie Crossover [5]
Category: Dredd (2012), Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Eye Trauma, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-07-11 14:20:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7056073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rudbeckia/pseuds/rudbeckia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mitaka makes Techie see a doctor about his eyes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rust gets in your eyes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jathis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jathis/gifts).



Techie scratched at his eyes. Mitaka, as usual, pulled Techie's hands from his face and frowned.  
"You know that makes it worse. Where is your spray?'  
Techie shrugged and pulled his arms back from Mitaka, rubbing at his eyes with the heels of his hands.  
"Ran out. Been too busy to get more."

"You should take better care of yourself," Mitaka sighed, "take time to do things like check your meds supply, report to medbay and make sure you have enough."  
"Sorry." Techie's voice was small. What he really meant was, _I can't explain it but I am not able to do that task even though it sounds so simple._

Mitaka stood and offered Techie both hands.  
"C'mon. Medbay. Now. I'm taking you myself."

Mitaka led Techie by the hand, only letting go once clear of the officers' accommodation deck because such displays of affection were grounds for punishment. Mitaka marched next to Techie, surreptitiously leaned against him in the crowded elevator then kissed him once it emptied.  
"We'll have a doctor look at it, not just confirm diagnosis with a medidroid."  
"Do you have that kind of privilege?" Techie said, halting Mitaka on their way out of the elevator with a pull on his sleeve.  
"No," Mitaka laughed. "But you do ever since you hacked the medbay computers and made yourself known to the Major down here."  
Techie giggled.  
"You made me do it." His face fell serious again and he gripped Mitaka's hands with both of his to prevent himself from rubbing already-irritated eyelids. "Stay with me? Please?"  
Mitaka smiled.  
"Of course."

The duty medic took Techie's details and immediately alerted the Major that "a VIP" sought a consultation. Techie and Mitaka were shown into an immaculate examination room. The senior medic patted the couch.  
"Lie back, please, sir?"  
Techie laughed.  
"You don't have to call me sir. You're a major, I'm an ensign in the tech corps. I should call you sir."  
"If you say so, sir. Your eyes?"  
"Yes." Techie closed his eyes, but the burning prickle increased so he opened them again and reached for Mitaka. "Doph?"  
"I'm here," Mitaka took Techie's hand.

The medic pulled a light close and peered into Techie's eyes, left then right. She pulled Techie's eyelids open, shining her penlight under his eyelids. Techie struggled to stay still, unused to having a stranger's face so close that he could feel cool breath on his cheek. She leaned back at last and looked behind her, picking up a sterile pad and an eyewash bottle.  
"Sit up and hold still, this might sting a little. I need to wash under your eyelids. There's some grit in there."  
Techie sat as directed, head to the side. The medic asked Mitaka to hold the swab at the side of Techie's eye to catch the runoff while she pulled Techie's eyelid up and sprayed a jet of sterile liquid under it. Techie's head jerked back the first time, but Mitaka soothed him with a kiss and a promise that this medic was here to help. They repeated the same process on the other side, the medic and Mitaka awkwardly changing places while Techie sat rigid with apprehension of imagined pain.

It was over soon. The medic showed Techie and Mitaka the specks she had washed from Techie's eyes then examined them under a small microscope.  
"Rust. Iron oxide. I think some of the components of your cybernetic eyes are degrading, the iron is exposed to aqueous salt solution from your tear ducts and corroding. The rust flakes off and works its way out under your eyelids. No wonder your eyes always feel irritated. I wish your bro... the General had insisted on a human doctor as soon as you were brought aboard. The medidroids are a great help in the aftermath of a battle, but they only treat symptoms. They don't look for the underlying cause of chronic conditions."

Mitaka peered at the jagged flakes on the display screen and winced, feeling his own eyelids itch in empathy with Techie's.  
"But I've never seen Techie actually cry. I mean, tears. No tears. I thought that's what the spray was for."  
The medic shrugged.  
"The tear ducts are damaged, but tears are still being produced, they're probably running down behind the nasal cavity." She addressed Techie. "Bet your nose runs when you're upset."  
Techie had a more relevant concern.  
"Can you fix it? Cure it?"

The medic leaned back in her chair and frowned at the screen.  
"Maybe, but it's complicated. You'd need a new pair of cybernetic eyes and some very delicate reconstructive surgery to rebuild the damaged structures, otherwise the problem is only going to get worse. You have a build up of scar tissue that I can't fix. Whoever did the original surgery on your eyes was a monster. I mean, what did they use to remove your natural eyes? A spoon?"  
"No," Techie stared at his knees as Mitaka wrapped arms around him tightly, "her thumbs."  
The medic stared at Techie in horror.  
"I'll see what I can do now to clean out the build up of particles then I'll send a message to your b... general. I know a good hospital if he'd consent to a detour." 

Techie and Mitaka left the medbay only after Mitaka promised to make Techie return every day at the end of hs shift to have his orbits flushed out in an effort to prevent further damage. Mitaka marched Techie straight to General Hux's office, gave as clear and concise a report on the problem, saluted and left Techie squirming in front of his brother.

"A detour?" Hux read the medical report quickly. "I can't afford a detour. But I will order your surgery as soon as you can get there on a shuttle. Lieutenant Mitaka can accompany you to make sure you are treated properly and you may have a guard of whichever two stormtroopers Captain Phasma can spare." Hux smiled at Techie. "Bren, you will be gone for about ten standard days, maybe fifteen. Can I trust you to stay out of trouble?"


End file.
